


Missing

by Jojora



Category: How to Get Away with Murder
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Heavy Angst, M/M, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-17
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-07-15 13:37:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7224538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jojora/pseuds/Jojora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Connor finds out about Stanford, he disappears.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

37 days. It had been 37 days since Connor had walked out the door and Oliver felt like he was barely functioning. He went to work in the mornings and came home to an apartment, but it didn’t feel like home anymore. It was too quiet. Too empty. 

Oliver used to love this apartment and this city. He loved it so much that he had sabotaged Connor’s life to selfishly hold onto it. How ironic that he lost his home in an attempt to keep it. Because if he was being completely honest, the only thing that was home was Connor. 

So now he just came back to this empty apartment and cooked himself a meal and put something mindless on the television, his heart aching and his soul heavy the entire time. Then he showered and slept, all of it alone. All of it lonely. 

But tonight, as he settled onto the couch to eat his food and ignore whatever was on the TV, there was a knock at the door. Oliver groaned, because he was 90% sure it was his neighbor down the hall who was always losing his key to the laundry room and asking to borrow Oliver’s, and Oliver was not in the mood for small talk or social interaction of any sort. Grumbling, he shuffled to the door and opened it. But his spine stiffened and his heart jumped when he realized that it wasn’t his neighbor, but Michaela standing at the door. He hadn’t seen or heard from any of Connor’s friends since Connor left.

“Michaela, hi,” Oliver said, his shock coming through in his voice. 

But Michaela didn’t exchange any pleasantries. “Is he here?” she demanded.

“What? Is he… Connor?” Oliver rambled, trying to process what was happening.

“No, Obama.” Michaela said sarcastically. “Of course I’m talking about Connor. Don’t try and play dumb. Is he here?” She didn’t give Oliver a chance to respond before she had pushed her way into the apartment, her eyes scanning the room for any sign of Connor. 

“I haven’t seen him in weeks,” Oliver told her.

She narrowed her eyes at him, but must’ve decided he was telling the truth because she groaned and her face went from suspicious to anxious. “I have to find him before she does,” she muttered. 

“Before who does?” Oliver asked, and then changed his mind and decided to ask the more important question. “Is he okay?” 

“No he’s not okay!” Michaela practically yelled at Oliver. “He’s been a fucking mess because of you and now he’s gone off and disappeared and oh my god, she’s going to kill him.” 

“Who?” Oliver pressed. 

“Annalise!” Michaela yelled, as though Oliver was an idiot for not understanding her babbling. “He hasn’t shown up to work for a week!” 

“Yeah, well, it’s his life he’s ruining. It’s not my problem anymore.” Oliver replied with bitterness lacing his voice. He had been a constant roller coaster of emotions, but right now he was back to being angry at Connor for not being willing to listen or work it out. 

“You mean his life he’s ending.” Michaela whispered. 

Oliver rolled his eyes at how dramatic she was. “It’s just a job, Michaela. So what if he gets fired. So what if he drops out of law school, even. Life isn’t over just because you can’t be a lawyer at a top law firm.”

Michaela shook her head. “No… you don’t understand. She will _kill_ him.” 

Oliver scoffed. “Right, well, I hope you find him then.” 

He expected Michaela to leave then, but she reached out and grabbed his arm with a grip that was much stronger than he would expect from someone so small. “Oliver!” she hissed. “Listen to me. I am not kidding. If Annalise finds Connor before we do, we will not see him again. She will have him killed.”

Oliver frowned at how solemn her tone was and how panicked her face was. Clearly he was missing something. “Why would you say something like that?”

Michaela froze at the question, realizing she had said too much. She shook her head slightly. “Nevermind, I’m being dramatic” she muttered as she turned to leave. 

This time it was Oliver’s turn to grab her arm. “Michaela, what did you mean?” Oliver demanded, and he’d never heard his voice come out so booming and aggressive before. 

Michaela paused and then looked back at Oliver. Her eyes searched his and Oliver could practically see her brain trying to work out some sort of intense internal conflict.

“Can you find him?” she finally asked, a pleading tone in her voice.

“Can you tell me what’s going on?” He retorted.

She shook her head. “I can’t,” she muttered. 

Oliver just stared at her. She stared back. Nobody spoke for a moment. 

Finally, Oliver relented slightly. “Is he really in danger?” 

Michaela nodded. 

“Well I don’t know where he is,” Oliver sighed. “But I can try tracking his cell phone.” 

Michaela’s face lit up. “Yeah, let’s try that.” 

Oliver nodded and walked over to his laptop that was sitting on the kitchen counter. He tried to ignore the hollow pit that was developing in his stomach and the questions that were racing through his mind and just focus on the task of finding Connor. 

He would never admit it to anyone, but he had only thought of tracking Connor’s phone so quickly because he had already considered doing it a couple days ago, before realizing that would officially put him at crazy ex-boyfriend status. 

As Oliver typed at his keyboard and focused on his screen, he could sense Michaela fidgeting next to him. The air in the room was tense and heavy, and the gnawing anxiety in his stomach continued to grow. 

“Found it,” he finally muttered and Michaela leaned over his shoulder to look. “He’s in Manhattan.” 

Michaela sighed. “That’s only a couple hours away. We should leave now.” 

Oliver stiffened. He hadn’t considered that he would actually be going out to find Connor. He didn’t know how to react to the idea of seeing him again, but he immediately knew that he very much wanted to. “Right.” He muttered. “Yeah, right, we should go.”

“Can you keep tracking him on the road?” Michaela asked, oblivious to Oliver’s internal struggle. 

Oliver nodded. “I can track him from my phone.” 

“Great, let’s move then.” And just like that, Michaela was already halfway out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

The first hour of the car ride was silent. Michaela drove and kept her focus on the road in front of her, making no attempts to initiate any sort of conversation, which was fine with Oliver because he was so overwhelmed that he wasn’t sure he could hold a conversation either. He stared out the window and tried to ignore all of the emotions that were bubbling up inside him. 

The way Michaela had been acting in the apartment was eerily familiar to the way Connor had been acting prior to their break-up. Like working for Annalise wasn’t just a legal internship, but some sort of cult. Oliver had always ignored Connor’s antics about Annalise because he assumed Connor was just being dramatic. But now, seeing the normally level-headed Michaela react the same way Connor did made Oliver question everything. Maybe he should have listened to Connor when Connor told him how badly they needed to escape Philadelphia. Suddenly Oliver’s guilt was overwhelming. He didn’t know what was going on, but he realized that he had ruined far more than a career opportunity for Connor. Connor had been desperate for an escape from something and Oliver had stolen it from him.

He felt sick from the anxiety of the situation and at the thought of what he had done. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the cool window, trying to calm the nausea he was feeling. 

Michaela must have noticed, because she finally spoke. “Hey, are you okay?”

Oliver just shook his head. Michaela glanced at him, and then pulled the car over onto the side of the highway. “We’ll find him,” she reassured. 

Oliver didn’t respond. He’d been a wreck for almost a month now and he had constantly felt like he was losing his mind, and now this was happening and he was completely overwhelmed. He just felt so many things brewing underneath his skin and they were about to overflow. He felt guilty. He felt angry at himself. He felt angry at Connor for leaving. He felt angry at Michaela and everyone else for keeping whatever it was they were keeping from him. He felt sad and lonely and heartbroken. He felt anxious about Connor’s current whereabouts. It was all just too much. 

“Oliver, he’ll be okay. We just have to go get him.” Michaela’s voice was pleading now, trying to bring his thoughts back down to earth. 

Oliver shook his head. He couldn’t go anywhere but he had to go somewhere. Had to do something. Had to be anywhere but right here, right now. He unbuckled his seatbelt and quickly got out of the car, slamming the door behind him. Michaela frantically followed him out. 

“Oliver!” she yelled at him, as the cars rushed past them on the highway. 

Oliver put a hand up to his head and tugged at his own hair. “Fuck, Michaela. What the fuck?” 

She just stared at him, clearly at a loss for how to react to his sudden outburst. 

“What are we doing?!” he snapped at her. 

“We’re going to find Connor. Oliver, please!” Her voice was frantic and her eyes were wide and she looked as though she thought Oliver was about to jump in front of an oncoming car. 

Oliver took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down and bring his heartbeat back to a regular rate. Everything was spinning. Michaela cautiously inched her way around the car and placed a hand gently on his shoulder. 

“I need you to tell me what’s going on” he said, not looking at her.

“Oliver, I can’t…” 

“No!” he interrupted her, slamming his hand against her car. “Don’t tell me you can’t. All he ever said was that he couldn’t tell me things. Couldn’t tell me why he might go to jail. Couldn’t tell me why he hated Annalise. Couldn’t tell me why he needed to transfer to Stanford. He couldn’t tell me, so I didn’t know. I didn’t know, so I ruined his life. But I’m sick of it. I need to know what it is that has turned my whole life upside down. I deserve to know.” 

“You’re right, you do deserve to know” Michaela mumbled. “But not here, not like this. Let’s get back in the car, and I promise I will tell you everything. Please.”

Oliver hesitated, but then nodded reluctantly. 

“Good, okay.” Michaela spoke, half to Oliver and half to comfort herself. She opened the car door and guided Oliver back into the passenger seat, before rounding the car to get back in herself. She started the car up again and pulled out onto the highway, driving a few moments before she spoke. 

“We didn’t mean for any of it to happen,” she slowly began. “I swear, Oliver, you have to believe me that we didn’t want any of this. And Connor and I tried to go to the police, but we couldn’t. They teamed up against us. They blackmailed us.” 

And for the next hour of the drive into New York City, Michaela recounted the story.


	3. Chapter 3

Michaela glanced nervously at Oliver. They had pulled over at a gas station to fill up the car, since she hadn’t been anticipating a road trip beforehand, but she hadn’t gotten out yet. Oliver had been silent since she revealed everything. He hadn’t shown any sort of reaction, other than to just stare out the window. 

“Do you want anything from the convenience store?” she finally asked. 

Oliver finally looked at her. “What?” he asked, his voice hoarse.

“Do you want a coffee or anything?” 

It took Oliver a minute to process the words. Nothing felt real around him anymore. Eventually he shook his head, and Michaela got out of the car to fill up the gas tank. 

Once Michaela was out of the car, Oliver leaned over and buried his head in his hands. He had no idea how to react to what he had just heard. His emotions had gone numb and his brain felt like it wasn’t functioning. 

Michaela got back in the car and her face was fully of sympathy, along with an underlying panic that she was clearly trying to hide, but it was seeping through nonetheless. Oliver noticed it but ignored it. He didn’t have the emotional capacity to comfort or reassure her, and he wasn’t going to promise her anything because he honestly didn’t know what he was going to do. 

Instead, he just pulled out his phone that had been tracking Connor since they left. “We’re really close,” he muttered. “Probably 20 minutes away.” 

Michaela nodded. “Right. Which way?” 

Oliver directed her through the city, grateful for an excuse to focus on something simple for the time being. 

They finally got to the neighborhood, and Michaela pulled them into a parking garage. They got out and handed the keys over to one of the employees. Everything was tense between them as they walked out of the garage and into the bustling city. 

“There’s too many buildings with too many floors.” Oliver grumbled. “I can’t get an exact location on him. But he’s somewhere on this block.” 

Michaela looked up and down the sidewalk they were standing on. There were 10-story apartment buildings and restaurants and bars and stores all around them. There was no way they would be able to figure out where he was. “What do we do?” she sighed.

Oliver was looking around and wracking his brain, trying to think about everything he knew about Connor in the hopes that it would lead him to wherever Connor might be. Why was Connor in New York City? Did he know someone here? Had he ever mentioned being here before? Maybe mentioned a favorite restaurant? But Oliver couldn’t think of anything that would be helpful. 

He groaned and leaned against a nearby wall. He was just about to tell Michaela it was hopeless when he saw her. He didn’t know her name, and he didn’t really know anything about her, but he recognized her from an old profile picture on Connor’s facebook.

“There!” he pointed and rushed over to the girl. Michaela looked confused but followed. 

“Excuse me!” Oliver yelled out at the girl, and she turned around. Her face went from one of questioning to one of recognition. 

“You’re Oliver” she said.

“You know who I am?” 

She nodded. “Connor has a picture of you on his phone." Oliver must have looked confused, because she went on to introduce herself. "I'm Elyse. Connor and I are old friends. Well, actually, we dated in high school, before he came out. Then we stayed friends.” 

“We need to talk to him. Is he around?” Michaela questioned. 

Elyse hesitated, but then nodded slowly. “He’s not doing so well…” she muttered as she gestured for them to follow her. She led them into an apartment building and they took the elevator up to the 5th floor. 

The elevator doors opened and she led them down the hall and into a small apartment. She gestured to a closed door. “He’s in there.” 

Michaela started for the door but Oliver grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “Can I see him first?” he whispered. 

Michaela nodded. 

Oliver slowly approached the bedroom door and turned the knob. His heart pounded in his chest and his stomach tightened into knots. Not only was he seeing Connor for the first time in weeks after a rather brutal ending, but he was seeing a whole different Connor now that he knew everything Connor had been hiding. Oliver hadn’t had time to process it or to react to it all, but he was about to see Connor anyway. 

Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open.


	4. Chapter 4

Oliver was expecting his entrance to be dramatic. He was expecting Connor to see him enter and have some sort of immediate outward reaction to this sudden unexpected visit. What he wasn’t expecting was the quiet stillness of the room as he entered and closed the door behind him, because Connor was fast asleep on the bed. 

Oliver slowly looked around the room. It was small and not very decorated, and he assumed it was simply Elyse’s guest room in her tiny New York apartment. Connor’s suitcase was propped up against a wall and some of his clothes were strewn around the room, along with a few bottles of beer and a nearly empty bottle of whiskey. The whole place was rather depressing. And curled up on the bed, under a white comforter, in a black tank top, was Connor. Oliver’s heart lurched at the sight and a thousand emotions flashed through him at once. 

Oliver slowly and gingerly walked over to sit on the edge of the bed, unsure of how to approach the situation. It was so familiar to see Connor sleeping, and yet felt so unusual. Once he was closer, he could see that this wasn’t quite the Connor he was used to, though. His facial hair was not neatly trimmed and his hair was unkempt and grown out longer than what he usually allowed it to get to. But beyond the slight physical differences, Oliver couldn’t help but think about all of the other ways this Connor was different from the one he had known. This was a Connor that had helped to cover up murders and pointed a gun at his boss. This Connor had lied to Oliver and didn’t have a drug problem. Although, the empty bottles throughout the room made that last part debatable. 

Despite all of that, Oliver looked at the man and mostly he just felt fondness and an ache in his heart from how much he had missed him. His brain told him that was ridiculous, that this wasn’t something that could be forgiven, but it didn’t matter because he cared too much about Connor. He was in too deep. In this moment, Oliver had already decided that there was no letting go of him, even if Connor had already chosen to let go of Oliver.

Oliver wished he could hold onto the peace of this moment longer, but he knew he was here for a purpose. Gently, he reached out and nudged Connor’s shoulder, trying to wake him up. Connor stirred, but didn’t wake. Oliver tried again. “Connor, wake up,” he spoke gently. 

Connor’s eyes fluttered open, and then suddenly he shot up in a panicked motion. His eyes landed on Oliver as he sat up completely. “What the hell?” he mumbled, bringing a hand up to rub his blurry eyes. 

Oliver raised his hands in a placating gesture. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” 

“What are you doing here?” Connor didn’t sound angry or hostile, and the tone was one of sincere curiosity. 

Oliver chewed on his lip for a moment as he looked at Connor. It was weird to know so much when Connor didn’t know he knew. “Michaela came by, and she was freaking out and saying you had disappeared. So we traced your phone and then we ran into Elyse on the street, and I recognized her from your Facebook, and she brought us over. Michaela was really worried about you.” Oliver knew he was rambling but he didn’t know how to approach the situation. 

Connor grabbed one of the throw pillows from the bed and pulled it to his stomach, like he often did in emotionally tense situations, and Oliver almost smiled at the familiar habit. 

“I’m fine” Connor mumbled. 

Oliver shook his head sadly and rubbed his face. “Fuck, Connor, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry about Stanford, and I’m sorry I never listened to you about Annalise. I’m sorry you were going through so much and I was so ignorant and stubborn about everything. I had no idea.” 

Connor’s eyes widened a little at Oliver’s words and demeanor. “What did Michaela tell you?” 

A tear slid down Oliver’s cheek as he looked up at Connor. He didn’t have to say anything, because the expression on his face clearly showed that he knew everything. 

“Oh my god. Fuck.” Connor’s breath hitched in his throat and his hands clutched at the pillow he was holding. “Fuck. No. I can’t believe… No.” He looked like his whole world was crashing down around him.

“Connor, it’s okay. I know it wasn’t your fault. I don’t blame you,” Oliver said softly, trying to calm Connor down. 

Connor shook his head violently. “No, no, no,” he muttered to himself. Then he looked up at Oliver. “I never wanted this for you. You’re involved now. You’re stuck, just like the rest of us.” He bent his knees up under the covers and brought his hands to his hair, tugging roughly. “FUCK!” he whispered harshly. 

Oliver quickly reacted to what was clearly an oncoming panic attack. He crawled up and grabbed Connor’s hands, holding them down and out of his hair so that he couldn’t keep pulling. “Connor, listen to me,” he said firmly. “We’re going to get out of this. Both of us. I promise you that. I don't know how, but I will find a way.”

Connor was trembling as Oliver continued to grip his wrists, and he didn’t appear to believe Oliver’s assurances. Oliver didn't really believe his own assurances, to be honest. But Connor seemed to be holding himself together for the moment. Oliver slowly let go of him and sat back against the headboard, so that they were side by side. 

“I’m so sorry, Oliver.” Connor’s voice was cracked and hoarse and he sounded like he was two seconds from crying. 

Oliver just pulled Connor into him and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. They sat quietly as Connor cried, all of the post break-up boundaries between them temporarily forgotten. 

The moment was interrupted when Michaela knocked and then pushed the door open. Connor quickly wiped the tears from his cheeks and sat up. 

“Sorry,” she murmured. “I just wanted to check in. We need to figure out what we are going to do now.” 

“Yeah,” Connor croaked out. “Give me a minute.” 

Michaela nodded and left the room again. Connor slowly rolled out of bed and grabbed a pair of pants that were on the floor. He pulled them on, and then ran a hand through his hair with a shaky breath as he looked at Oliver.

Oliver stood up and walked over to Connor. There were still so many questions and so much tension between them and nothing felt comfortable the way it used to. “I miss you” Oliver admitted as he looked into Connor’s eyes. “I’m so, so sorry.” 

Connor reached out and brushed a thumb against Oliver’s cheek, as if he was checking to make sure Oliver was real. Then he leaned in and kissed Oliver, soft and sweet and not nearly long enough. A moment later, he awkwardly pulled away from the kiss, as though he had done it accidentally. “We should go” he muttered, gesturing to the door. 

Oliver nodded and followed Connor out into the living room. They could figure out their relationship later. Right now, they were officially running for their lives and it was time to figure out how to survive.


	5. Chapter 5

Michaela quickly stood up from the couch when Connor and Oliver came out of the bedroom. “Elyse went out to go grab us all some food for breakfast tomorrow” she said as she walked over to them. 

Connor just nodded. 

“I think you should go back,” Michaela blurted out next. “We can show up to work on Monday and keep going. Get back on track. Finish school and then never look back.” 

“No.” Connor responded immediately.

“Connor,” her voice pleaded. “If you run, she’s going to find you. I already overheard her talking to Frank about you.” 

“I’m not going back. I can’t. I’d rather be dead than keep working there,” Connor’s voice sounded completely serious as he said it and Oliver flashed him a look of deep concern. 

“Well then what the hell are we going to do?” Michaela asked. “It’s late. I can’t get my car back out of the garage until tomorrow morning, and I’ll never make it to work in time, which means that if I show up to work on Monday without you, they’re all going to know I was with you over the weekend and helping you escape. It’s going to make everything fall apart.” 

“I can make us disappear,” Oliver spoke up quietly. Both Connor and Michaela turned to look at him and he fidgeted a little. His mind had been reeling from the moment he started talking to Connor and he had already planned out several scenarios for ways in which they could live a happy life together. “I um… I can recycle some passports and put our money in new bank accounts under false names. We can leave the country.” 

“No, this is crazy!” Michaela sounded exasperated. “I have to finish law school. I can’t just change my identity and disappear!” 

“Forget about law school Michaela! We committed murders. We’re being blackmailed and threatened and could spend out lives in prison. Do you not understand the gravity of this situation?” Connor hissed at her. 

She flinched at the words. “So what, we just move to some foreign country and leave behind all of our friends and family and live the rest of our lives in hiding? I don’t want to do that.” 

“We at least need to get somewhere safe for now, while we figure out our next steps” Oliver interrupted in an attempt to diffuse the situation. “We can’t think that far ahead right now. We need to take this one step at a time.” 

Michaela took a deep breath. “How did this become my life?” she muttered to herself. Then she looked back up at Connor and Oliver. “Okay, fine. But we have to do this right. If we make any mistakes, we’re screwed.”

Oliver nodded. “First, we need to withdraw all our money in cash. And then I need to buy a computer. I left all of my stuff in Philadelphia and we can’t go back for it. Besides, using my old laptop would be traceable.” 

“We’ll head out first thing in the morning,” Michaela said reluctantly. “We should sleep.” She sat back down on the couch, where Elyse had prepared a small bed for her. 

Connor and Oliver looked at each other. Nothing had been resolved between them, and Oliver was unsure of whether or not sharing a bed was appropriate, but Connor laced his fingers in Oliver’s with a meek look on his face and gently pulled him into the bedroom. 

They both stripped down to their boxers and silently got into bed. Oliver had his back to Connor, but a few moments later he felt Connor’s hand slide under his arm and pull at his bare chest, urging him to turn onto his back. He did so tentatively, and Connor tucked himself under Oliver’s arm and laid his head on Oliver. It was all very insistent, as though Connor was desperate for the comfort of being held. 

Neither of them said anything, but they held each other tightly as they drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Oliver woke up early the next morning to the sun rising through the window, and he found himself very much entangled in Connor. He smiled a little at the familiarity of Connor’s warmth. Their whole lives were being turned upside down, but it was comforting to have Connor in his arms again, and for at least these few early morning hours the rest of the world didn’t matter. He shifted a little to stretch his stiff muscles and Connor woke up from the movement and looked up at Connor with a small smile. 

“Hi,” Connor said quietly.

Oliver tentatively trailed his fingers along Connor’s arm. 

Connor reached up and ran a finger down Oliver's jaw. “I missed you too, Ollie,” he muttered, an incredibly delayed response to Oliver's statement last night. Before Oliver could respond, Connor pressed their lips together. Oliver quickly deepened the kiss, not wanting it to end abruptly the way it had the last time.

“I love you so much. You have no idea,” Oliver muttered when they finally pulled apart. All of their movements were slow, but it felt like they were desperately grasping at each other for comfort in this hectic mess. 

Connor kissed Oliver again. His lips moved from Oliver’s lips to his cheeks to his jaw to his lips again, soft and sweet, as he re-memorized Oliver. Eventually, he pulled back and let his fingers play on Oliver’s chest. “This is going to work, right?” he asked nervously. 

Oliver nodded. “Yeah, I think so." 

Connor fell silent, but let his fingers slowly trail down Oliver’s torso and play with the hem of Oliver’s boxers, hesitant and unsure. Oliver shifted a little, pushing his hips up and encouraging Connor. At Oliver's urging, Connor dipped his fingers under the fabric and cupped Oliver in his hand, kissing him deeply again as Oliver began to harden under his touch. 

Connor pulled his hand out and then gently pushed Oliver onto his back and straddled him, rolling their hips together slowly as they kissed. His movements were becoming more sure and confident by the second. Oliver’s hands splayed on Connor’s back as he gasped into the sensation. Normally their sex life had been aggressive and playful, but this was something different. It was slow and deliberate and emotional. They weren’t fucking. They were seeking comfort in each other and pulling each other as close as they possibly could. They were having a conversation with their bodies, giving and taking pleasure from each other and forgiving each other without words, only small moans and breathy gasps. They weren’t even naked, and yet Oliver felt like this was the most intimate moment he’d ever shared with Connor. 

They stayed like that, kissing and moving together and gasping and whimpering into each other’s mouths. Their erections rubbed against each other through the thin fabric of their underwear and Oliver reveled in every moment of it, taking the time to notice every detail of Connor's body pressed up against his own. Eventually, Oliver’s muscles began to tense and his hands grasped at Connor’s back. His breath hitched as he came, and Connor moaned deeply against him. Then Oliver reached down and gripped Connor underneath his boxers and ran his thumb over the tip of his erection as he slowly jerked him off. Connor whined and gripped Oliver tightly as he gave into his own orgasm. 

Connor collapsed next to Oliver, putting his face in the crook of Oliver’s neck as Oliver wrapped his arm around Connor’s back. They rested there together, the only sound in the room being their harsh and ragged breathing. A solid ten minutes passed before Oliver chuckled. 

“What’s so funny?” Connor asked, lifting his head and looking at Oliver. 

“We’re about to flee the country and you messed up my only pair of underwear,” Oliver chided and Connor grinned at him. They both broke into a quiet laughter and then Connor tilted Oliver’s face toward him, smiling even as he kissed him. 

“We can go live in a nudist colony. Then you won’t need any underwear.” Connor mumbled into Oliver’s lips and Oliver pinched Connor’s side in retaliation. 

“Ow! Okay, okay. I’m sorry. I promise to buy you more underwear.” Connor gasped and Oliver smiled fondly at him, pulling him back down onto his chest.

On the outside, it seemed like everything was falling apart. But for Oliver, in this moment, he felt like everything was being put back together. It felt good to laugh with Connor and hold Connor and be with Connor. For just a few moments, all of the weight had been lifted off of them. And it didn’t matter that they were leaving everything they knew behind because this, right here, was his home. As long as he was with Connor nothing else mattered. Plus, now that everything was out in the open, without Connor’s secrets burdening them and with Oliver being forgiven for Stanford, it felt better than ever before. Oliver felt hopeful, like there was a potential for this to finally be something really, really good. He pulled the blanket up higher and let them drift back to sleep, knowing that they only had a couple more hours before they would have to leave the solitude of this room and begin their journey.


	7. Chapter 7

Oliver awoke again to a pounding on the bedroom door. “We have to get moving!” Michaela’s voice called out. He groaned and squeezed Connor a little tighter, already missing the serenity of the morning they had shared together. 

“I swear to God, if you guys are having sex in here…” Michaela called out as she pushed the door open.

Connor stiffened at her shrill voice and buried his face deeper in Oliver’s neck. 

Oliver reached a hand up to rub his eyes. “Morning, Michaela” he said tiredly and with a hint of bitterness. 

She just crossed her arms and glared at them. “It’s already past 9. We have to get going!” 

“Alright, _mom,”_ Connor whined, his face still buried in Oliver’s skin. 

“Hey. I don’t even want to do this. If I’m going to have my whole fucking life turned upside down, the least you could do is take it seriously,” Michaela spat and then stomped her way back out of the bedroom, leaving the door open behind her. 

“Oh yeah, this is going to work out well.” Connor grumbled as he disentangled himself from Oliver and they both started to get dressed. But he cracked a smile when Oliver had to go commando. 

In the kitchen, Michaela and Elyse were both sitting at the counter, eating and drinking coffee. Elyse gestured to the stove when Connor and Oliver came out. “I made eggs. And there’s bread if you want toast.” 

Connor grinned. “You’re the best ex-girlfriend housewife ever” he teased as he grabbed a couple plates for him and Oliver. 

“Damn, Connor. I haven’t seen you smile since you got here. Clearly that means you got laid,” Elyse retorted, her eyes jumping from Connor to Oliver. They both ignored her as they stood with their back to her, putting food on their plates and pouring coffee in their mugs, but Oliver blushed and Connor smirked. She took their silence as a confirmation. “Gross. You better wash those sheets.” 

“Actually,” Connor said as he put his plate down across from her, “I think I’m going to head home today.” 

“I figured that these two had come to drag you home,” Elyse said with a smile. “Not that I don’t love having you here to sulk around my apartment, but it’s not like you can just disappear from your life indefinitely and nobody will miss you.” The other three all felt the unintended weight behind Elyse’s words, but nobody reacted. 

They made light conversation through the rest of breakfast, and Elyse would never have guessed that they were about to flee the country. Michaela wasn’t nearly as jovial as the rest of the group, but it seemed to go unnoticed by Elyse, who told Oliver embarrassing stories about Connor’s awkward teenage years and continued to remark on how nice it was to see Connor happy for once. 

After they had eaten, Oliver helped Elyse do the dishes while Connor went and packed up the rest of his room, picking up the empty bottles and stripping the bed to throw the sheets in the hamper. Michaela just sulked in the corner, clearly not feeling the same honeymoon-ish glow that Connor and Oliver were feeling. 

Soon, they were all ready to head out and the reality of it all had started to settle in. Connor pulled Elyse into a tight hug. “Seriously, thanks for everything,” he whispered into her ear. 

She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. “Take care of yourself, Con” she said with a real layer of concern in her voice. 

“And you,” she glared at Oliver playfully. “Keep him on his leash next time.” 

Oliver smiled and nodded. “It was great to meet you.” 

They held onto that last minute of normalcy while they said their goodbyes, and then they headed out. As soon as they were on the sidewalk, the entire mood changed. It became serious and very, very real. 

They tossed their phones in a garbage can and walked briskly to the bank, where they took turns withdrawing as much cash as they could. The plan was that this bank would be their last traceable location. From there on, everything would be done off the radar. The next stop was an electronics store, where Oliver bought a new laptop, in cash of course, and all three of them bought cheap, disposable cell phones. 

Then they set up in a coffee shop to use the wi-fi and find someone on craigslist or ebay that was selling old passports. Once they found that, Connor and Michaela went off to meet the guy while Oliver got to work on the trickiest part. He hacked into the local DMV, entering in their information into the system that would allow them to go pick up new, authentic driver’s licenses under false names. 

Eventually, all three of them met up outside the DMV. Connor had the passports in hand, which Oliver would alter to include their new information, and they each had their brand new IDs. They were leaving Michaela’s car behind, despite her attempts to convince them otherwise, because it was simply too risky. 

They would hop on a train to California tonight, and then cross the border into Mexico. They’d originally considered Canada, since it was close, but figured that would also make it the first place Annalise would look. So far, everything was going smoothly, even though the air was tense amongst them. 

They boarded the subway to Penn Station, and they could feel the freedom at their fingertips. It would be a 3 day train ride, and then once they crossed the border, they would be able to relax. They were anxious and rushed as they stepped off the subway and into the bustling train station. Oliver was walking up to buy their train tickets when they all froze. 

Asher was standing near the ticket booth, staring at them.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update took so long. I honestly completely forgot about this fic lol

“Hey, guys what’s up?” Asher called out sarcastically, and he looked pissed. 

“Hey, Asher…” Michaela tried to act casual, as though they had just run into him at a shopping mall or a restaurant, rather than a train station where they were obviously trying to run. 

“Going somewhere?” he asked. 

“Asher, please, just listen” Connor stammered. 

“You’re just going to leave the rest of us in this shit hole?” Asher asked angrily.

“How did you find us?” Michaela asked curiously. 

Asher laughed humorlessly. “Annalise has been on a tirade since you didn’t come to work today after Connor had already been missing. Frank found out you guys were in New York City and she stationed us throughout the city. Wes is at Grand Central, and Laurel and Bonnie are at the two airports.” 

Michaela stiffened, but Oliver had suddenly never been so grateful to see Asher in his life. Asher, of all the fucking people, was nothing but a lost puppy. Anyone else and they would be in serious trouble, but Asher was easy. Oliver was so relieved that he smiled and instinctively muttered “Oh thank god,” which made Connor and Michaela glare at him in confusion. 

Asher also frowned at Oliver, but Oliver’s mind was already steps ahead. “Asher, come with us!” Oliver said excitedly. 

“What?” the other three all said at the same time. 

“No, seriously. We’ll get you a passport and ID in California. You can get out of this mess. You can escape with us.” 

Asher shuffled on his feet. He looked around the train station anxiously, but didn’t appear to need a lot of convincing. “Yeah, okay.” 

Connor and Michaela both relaxed their stiff shoulders. 

“Okay, but we have to move!” Michaela hissed, the situation much more urgent now that they knew Annalise was on their tail. 

Oliver was thinking hard. They needed IDs to get on the train, and Asher only had his real one. If he boarded the train, they’d be able to track him and therefore all of them. He turned to Asher. “You have to get on a separate train. You’ll go to Chicago while we go to California. I’ll set everything up for you to get your ID over there while we make your passport. You’ll only have a day before they’re onto you again, so we’ll have to move fast. From there, you can hop on a new train to California with your new ID and meet us.” 

Asher nodded.

“Give me your phone.” Oliver held his hand out and Asher handed his phone over, which Oliver promptly took and threw into a nearby trashcan. 

“Dude!” Asher exclaimed but Oliver ignored it. 

“You can have my disposable one, it has the numbers of Michaela and Connor’s phones. I’ll keep you updated on what to do. And Asher…” Oliver’s voice was solemn and firm, “don’t talk to anyone. After you buy your train ticket, don’t tell a single soul who you are or where you’re going.”

Asher nodded again, and they separated to buy their different train tickets with a renewed sense of anxiety.


	9. Chapter 9

The train ride to California was rough, to say the least. 

Michaela was being extremely passive aggressive towards Connor, blaming him for running away and somehow roping her into it and essentially making their lives even more of a living nightmare. Connor, in return, was just as passive aggressive towards her for making the decision to tell Oliver the truth. And both of them were incredibly annoyed at the fact that Oliver had managed to invite Asher in on the plan. Or maybe they were just taking their frustration out on Oliver. Regardless, it was incredibly stressful to all be locked up in a tiny train compartment together for a 72 hour train ride.

They spent most of the time silent. They ate in silence. They stared out the window in silence. On the rare occasions they did speak to each other, it came out in snippy remarks and short attitudes. 

Oliver pulled his feet up and rested his head against his knees. They’d been traveling for over 2 days and they still had 10 more hours and the tension was exhausting. He felt like he was reaching his breaking point.

Michaela stood up. “I’m going to the restroom,” she said curtly and then walked out. 

The compartment fell back into silence for a moment.

“Ollie?” Connor’s voice cut through the air and it was tentative and quiet. 

Oliver lifted his head to look at Connor, who was sitting across from him, with a somewhat annoyed glare. He couldn't help it, everything was getting under his skin at the moment. “Yeah?” 

Connor fidgeted under his gaze and his fingers toyed with the bottle of water he was holding. “Nevermind.” 

Oliver sighed. There was still so much unspoken between them and Oliver knew they would have to have a real conversation eventually. They just hadn’t had the time or the privacy, and there were so many other things going on. He felt bad for being so short with Connor though, and he softened his attitude.

“Come here,” he said quietly, gesturing to the sear next to him and unfolding himself so that he was sitting regularly. Connor obeyed and moved to sit next to him. 

Oliver guided Connor so that he was laying down in the seats, his head in Oliver’s lap. Then he gingerly brushed his fingers through Connor’s hair. 

“What are you thinking?” Connor asked quietly as he leaned into Oliver’s touch. 

Oliver shrugged. “I’m scared,” he admitted. “And I’m happy because I thought I would never see you again. And I’m worried about you.” 

“Yeah,” Connor sighed, his eyes closed. “Me too.” 

Oliver didn’t ask what part Connor was referring to. He just continued to run his fingers through Connor’s hair, letting Connor slowly drift to sleep while he stared out the window. Michaela came back into the compartment and sat back down, and they rode in silence for the rest of the trip. 

Once the train had pulled into the station, Oliver pulled out a phone and texted Asher to let them know they had arrived. Asher had already notified them that he had gotten his ID in Chicago and then hopped on the train to California, so he would only be arriving a few hours behind them.


End file.
